Research
Energy balance
Comprehensive lifestyle interventions consisting of diet, physical activity, and behavior therapy produce clinically meaningful weight loss (6-8% of initial body weight) and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, provided a caloric deficit of at least 500 kcal/day is maintained.
To lose weight, you must create a daily caloric deficit of at least 500 calories. You can achieve this through various diets (low-carb, low-fat, etc.) as long as you stick to a calorie target (1,200-1,500 kcal for women, 1,500-1,800 kcal for men). Combine this with 150 minutes of weekly exercise and behavioral strategies like tracking food intake for best results.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Obese individuals lose approximately 6 to 8 kg (approximately 6% to 8% of initial weight) with 6 months of participation in a high-intensity lifestyle intervention (≥ 14 treatment visits) consisting of diet, physical activity, and behavior therapy. Such losses reduce progression to type 2 diabetes in at-risk people... All diets, regardless of macronutrient composition, can produce clinically meaningful weight loss (> 5%) if they induce a deficit ≥ 500 kcal/d.
Why this rating
Based on multiple large-scale RCTs (DPP, Look AHEAD, POUNDS LOST) and expert guidelines.
Source
Management of Obesity
Naji Alamuddin et al. · Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2016
narrative_reviewCited 62×
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